The wife of hot-headed NY1 political anchor Dominic Carter testified today that it was a day laborer who beat her up last October in an argument over payment for work – not her volatile husband, as she originally had told cops that day.

Marilyn Carter’s surprising testimony came on the first day of Dominic’s trial for allegedly assaulting his Manhattan College administrator wife during an argument in the Rockland County home on Oct. 22, 2008.

Also today Dominic Carter was put on an indefinite leave of absence by NY1.

A written statement Marilyn Carter gave Ramapo Town Police, which was revealed today, said Dominic, 45, called her “dumb,” “stupid,” and “retarded,” and that he also called her a “dumb project bitch” whom he had no respect for. And in a taped 911 call she made the day of the alleged assault, she told authorities Dominic had hit her.

Police records obtained by The Post yesterday revealed that Carter was charged with third-degree assault a misdemeanor, after 52-year-old Marilyn told them Dominic twice punched her in the face, “causing a swollen bottom lip,” and grabbed her around her throat, “causing scratches and minor bleeding from behind her left ear.”

Dominic also repeatedly punched her in the right upper arm and “kicked her in her lower right shin, causing a small cut with minor bleeding,” the records said.

But today, Marilyn told the Ramapo court judge who is presiding over the case a radically different story to explain her injuries.

Marilyn told the judge that she had hired a day laborer to do some yard work at the couple’s Pomona, NY, home. At some point during that day, she and Dominic had a shouting match, and her husband then stormed out of the house, Marilyn testified.

Afterward, Marilyn said, she had a dispute over payment with the laborer, and he attacked her, she testified. Dominic was not home at that time, she said today.

Closing arguments were taking place in the case this afternoon.

Hours earlier today, when confronted by reporters, Dominic defiantly denied assaulting his wife as he headed to a trial for the alleged attack – and as his emotional spouse stood by him and amazingly backed up his story.

“I will be exonerated in court, this is all a big misunderstanding,” Carter said outside his house – just hours after The Post exclusively revealed his arrest last year for beating his wife. “I never touched my, I never hit my wife. I did not cause those injuries to my wife.”

His wife, Marilyn Carter, choked up as she said, “I want everyone to know that this is a character assassination against my husband.”

“We’re headed to court to clear up the charges. He will be exonerated. This has caused a lot of pain to my family, but he will be vindicated,” said Marilyn, who has two children with Dominic.

But Marilyn, whom sources had said recently moved out of the couple’s refused to answer why cops say she told them on Oct. 22, 2008 that she had been brutally assaulted by her hulking journalist of a hubby.

Carter called the situation “a personal matter,” but also said about the night of the alleged assault, “Basically she asked me to leave the house.”

“She locked me out of the house, and I told her she can’t lock me out of the house. That’s why police were called,” Carter said.

“It’s not true, but what do I do to restore my career?”

In addition to the October 2008 incident, The Post uncovered three other police reports dating to early 2007 in which Ramapo Town Police were called to the Carter residence because of disputes between the couple.

The domestic incidents came just after the anchor published a book, “No Momma’s Boy,” which revealed physical and sexual abuse he suffered as a young boy in The Bronx at the hands of his schizophrenic mother, who tried to strangle him as an infant.

NY1 General Manager Steve Paulus today said, “As soon as we were made aware of the situation we took appropriate action. Dominic will not be appearing on NY1 and has taken an indefinite leave of absence.”

Hours after The Post’s inquiries yesterday, Carter was noticeably absent from his seat hosting “Inside City Hall” last night.

Carter, who moderated the Oct. 13 mayoral debate between Mayor Bloomberg and Comptroller Bill Thompson, joined NY1 when Time Warner launched the channel in 1992.

Since then, he has interviewed virtually every big-name New York politician and made “Inside City Hall” must-see TV for local political junkies.

In 1997, he was told to take a few days off after getting into a shoving match with an editor.

Carter married Marilyn in 1985 after graduating from SUNY Cortland, where they had secretly dated while he was a student and she was an administrator at the school, he wrote in his book.

In 2007, their home life became increasingly rocky, and began drawing the attention of Ramapo town police, who patrol Pomona.

On March 14, 2007, the Carters’ daughter, Courtney, then 19, called 911 after her parents had an argument, a police report says.

“Dominic fled the scene prior to [police officers’] arrival,” according to the report.

Marilyn told cops that she and Dominic had “a verbal dispute” earlier in the day, and that it began again after she returned to the home after leaving for a while.

“Marilyn states Dominic became agitated and began yelling and cursing at her,” said the report.

No one was injured in that case, and no arrests were made.

Nearly a year later, on March 8, 2008, Ramapo cops again were called to the Carter residence.

“Marilyn reports that her husband . . . has been out of the house for a couple of days, and tonight, he took the kids to the movies and they came back and they had a verbal argument and she wants him to leave,” police wrote.

“She was concerned due to the fact that he has gotten physical in the past,” the report said. Police said Dominic agreed to leave the house to avoid further dispute.

But the next day, cops again were called to the Carter home — this time by Dominic.

The newsman, in a written statement for police, said Marilyn “refused to open the door to the house to me.”

He wrote that “my wife lied to the officers [and] said I hit her” during the call of the prior day.

Marilyn then “left the scene and advised she will be staying at a friend’s house until future time. Mr. Carter advised he will seek a divorce,” the police report said.